Domestic applianck



K. CLARK DOMESTIC APPLIANCE Filed Feb. 28, 1942 'Aug'. 2o, 1946.

2 Sheets-Sheet l /c/Mwmk BY L Bn Aug. zo, 1946. K, CLARK I 2,406,198

DOMESTIC APPLIANCE Filed Feb. 28, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 20, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT 'FFICE Y I 2,406,198 y DOMESTIC APPLIANC; Kendall Clark, Oakwood, Ohio, assigner to General'Motors'Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware .i j j Y Application February 2s, 1942, serial No'. 132,861

` Claims.

1 This invention relates to domestic appliances and more particularly to washing machines.

An object of this invention is to provide a washing machine with a device for automatically tails of the container, and its combination with the reciprocable agitator I I, form no vpart of this invention, except in combination with the soap or detergent distributing means hereinafter to be described. These parts are morevfully described introducing soap or other detergent intov the 5 and claimed in my copending application Serial Washing liquid. No. 358,871, filed September 28, 1940 `(Patent Another object of this invention is to provide 2,366,236, January 2, 1945), to which reference a washing machine with an agitator capable of is made, if necessary, for further -disclosure agitating the clothes and of introducing soap or thereof. other detergent into the washing liquid. Preferably the agitator II is provided witha Another object of this invention is to provide flexible disc 20 of rubber or the like at its lower a washing machine with a power-driven movable rim, so that whenl the agitator II is quickly reholderfor introducing soap or other detergent ciprocated,v it imparts a toroidal circulation to into'the washing liquid. the liquid, and at the same time effectively agi- Further objects and advantages of the present tates thefclothe's or other articles to be Washed. invention will be apparent vfrom the following The agitator II is provided Withva cylindricalv l description reference being had to the accomchamber 2l in its upper portion,` Whichfcompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of municates with `the vliquid in the receptacle I0. Y the present invention is clearly shown. rA screen 22 Iforms a detergent chamber inv the In the drawings: upper part of chamber 2|. The agitator I I is se- Fig. 1 is a vertical cross section of a portion cured to the reciprocable shaft II through the of a washing machine embodying features of my medium of a spider 23, so that liquid from the invention; Y receptacle I0 may pass freely through the screen Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a modified form 2,2 and spi-der 23 vto the upper part of chamber 2l of agitator; l25 While the agitator is being reciprocated. A re- Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2 showing a vmovable cover 24 is secured to the top of the further modification; agitator II', vfor example, by a threaded engage- Fig. 4 is a view showinga further modification; y ment at 25. e Fig. 5 is a horizontal cross section-of the modi- When. it is desired to wash clothes or the like, cation shown in Fig. fl; and l the clothes and liquid are placed in the receptacle Fig. 6 is a vertical cross section of afurther I0. The removable cover '2liv is removed and 'soap modification. f or other detergent is placed therein in the form A washing machine embodying my invention of a powder or as one or more solid bodies, and may include in general a receptacle I0 for holdthe cover 24 is replaced. Thereafter, the meching Washing liquid and the articles to be washed. anism I2 is energized to produce a vigorous to Also, it may linclude a clothes agitator I I adapted and fro or reciprocating agitator action, so that to perform the washing operations on the clothes the soap in' .the chamber 2i is quickly dissolved or similar articles. It mayA also include an elec-1 anddisseminated into the liquid in receptacle I0 tric power driving mechanism I2 for imparting by the action of the liquid which flows back and proper movement to the agitator II, 1 40 forth 'between the receptacle I0 and `the cham- If desired, the receptacle IIlmay also be a ber 2| through the screen22 and spider` 23. This centrifugal Abasket capable of containing the construction prevents thev soap from Vclinging to liquid while stationary, as'by means of the im- -the clothes, and insures proper solution of the perforate tub I3 surroundingthe perforate tub V soap in the-liquid. I4. 'I'hese tubs'may be secured on a rotatable 4-5 Bythis construction it is to be seen that the sleeve I 5 drivingly connected tor the rotatable agitatorII is capable ofjsimultaneously agitating cage I6 of the electric power driving mechanismy the clothesin the receptacle I0 and Aof introduc- I2. The sleeve I5 may surround a to Vand fro or ing/the soap or detergent into' the liquid. reciprocable shaft I'I which is secured to the agi- In the modification shown in Fig.` `2,7the -agitator II, so that the agitator II may be given a t-ator II a may be placed in a container such as to and froV or vertical movement by means of the Hl shown in Fig. l, andmay be vertically recipwobble mechanism I8. A flexible bellows seal I9 rocated substantially in the same manner as agiis secured to the shaft I1 and receptacle I n to tato;` II in Fig.` 1. AV cylindrical chamber v2id prevent now of liquid along` the shaft. `The de`' is placed in the upper portion of the' agitator immediately below the removable cover24a. 'I'he Y along the side walls of the Varies 3i).V

3 Y chamber Zla is provided with openings at 26 and 21 to communicate with the tub l0. The remainder of the agitator I la may be substantially the same in construction and operation as the agitator Il previously described. In operation,

@the cover 24a is removed and soap or other detergentr is'v placed inthe cylindrical chambel` 2la, after which the cover 24a isY replaced on the agitator. Thereafter, the agitator is reciprocated in the liquid receptacle, together with liquid and clothes, to agitate rthe clothes and disseminate the soap into the liquid throughl openings 26 and 21.

i In the modification shownvin Figf; the agita- ,tor l Ib is substantially the same asi agitator Ila,

y rvbut the rubber cylindrical chamber 2th is made separate from the main body of the agitator. It is provided with openings at 26h. Soap isintro-J duced by removing cover 24h, after which the cover' is replaced andV `theoperationV then isgthe same as in Figs. 1 and 2; Y c

In the modiications'hown in 4i* v5, the

agitator Hc maybe placed in any suitable liq'- uid receptacle, such jasu` I0, shown -in'fFigM/l. However,V the agitatoril'lc-vis of the Vtypewhich Vis moved to and fro or oscillated abouta vertical' axis, coa-Xially with the drive shaft 11a. Preferably, this is of the typeY in which novertical reciprocaticm takesrplac'e, the movement being limited to oscillationabout the vertical axis.

However,v it is to -be understood that a Vcombined vertical movement and oscillation. about an axis mayl be provided, Yif desired.k The agitatorllcY is provided. with a plurality of generally Vradial- 1hollow varies 3i! which aid in agitating theclothes during the kwashing operation. Iheupper portion or :the agitator forms a chamber Zic into vwhich' the soap or otherdetergentrmay be introduced by unscrewing the coverfilc. lOpenings 3i are placed in the vupper partofV the agitatonand other openings 32y are placed along the bottom of kthe agitator,

I'fyrdesired, oner or more inward radial or-spiral vanes 33 1are f placed inside of the chamberllb. In operation,

the liquid from the receptacle Illusurrounding the, agitator circulates through the chamber ,210 through the openings 3E, ,32 and 32e,l and .this liquid is kept in agitation by the vane ror vanes i 33, so that the soapis dissolved andfdisseminated into the .washing liquid while'the clothes arerbeing agitated. i .Y K V- In ,the modification'shown in Fig. 6, ank agitator somewhat similar to that shownin Eig. 1l-y is used. .'Ihatis, it is an agitator of the type which is submerged in a' receptacle similar to receptacle 1B, and is provided with radial vanes 35. In .this` case, however, the lower portion ofthe agitator isran open'cone at the bottom and is provided withja hollow chamber. 36 between the radial vanes 35. 'I'his chamber is provided with a mov-V able cover 31, and may be open at the bottoin to the liquid in the receptacle4 i6 V(Fig. l) through the' open bottom kof the cone. A screen 38is placed Yunder the coverr31and is adapted to'hold soap powder or other detergent, vwhich isintroduced through ythec )peningatV 31. If desired,

Yradial openings 39 may also 4be Yprovided in the side of chamber 36. In operation, after the soap has been introduced through 31, theagitator is oscillated and washes the clothes inthe liquid and simultaneouslyfdisseminates the soap'throughV the screen 3,8 as th/eliquid is agitated duringthe ,Y washing operation. Y

Otherfopenings 32e are placed.

the agitator and receptacle l0 may be used by v themselves or in combination with any means for wringing the clothes. The wringer construction may be separate from the receptacle l0, or the receptacle I0 may itself be a combined washing Vreceptacle and centrifugal basket, of the type describedv in my copending applicationrabove referred to.

l YWhile the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred Wform, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, as may come within the scope ofthe claims which follow.

munication withsaid tub, and a removable cover said chamber'while said agitatoris inY operative in sealing engagement with the upper part of said agitator to permit insertion of detergent into position in said tub. u Y

2. A washing machine comprising atub adapted .toV contain liquidv and Y articles to. be washed, a vertically.reciprocable-shaft extending upwardly through the'bottom of'said'tub, an agi-1 A tator in saidtub mounted on -said-shaft, said-agi,:

tatorY having. an outwardly-.flared-lower;portion open to saidtuband having an-uppen'narrow, v

substantially ,vertical walled chamber in open communication with said lower-portion,- a1perV forate wall defining a detergentcontainer in thef upperY portion ofV said chamber, and'arengiovable cover in sealing engagement with the top'of said chamber to `permit insertion of'detergent into said-l chamber while said agitator is-in operative positoninsaidtub.Y Y

v3. A washing machine comprising *a tub- 'I adapted to contain liquid and articles to Vbe washed, a vertically reciprocableshaft extendingv upwardly through the bottom of said'tub; an agitat-or in said tub, said agitator having anI outv wardly flared Vlower portion open to lsaid tub provided'with a 'flexible rimV andV having anupper, Y narrow, substantiallyvertical walledchamber opencommunication with saidlower portion, a support between s aidagitator'and shaft havinga liquid passageway between said lower portion andE chamber, a perforate wall dening a detergent container inV said chamber accessible to liquid passing backand forth through said support, and

a removable cover in sealingv engagement with the .Y top of said chamber'topermit insertionfofdetergent into said chamber while said agitator 1 is in operativeposition in said tub. Y Y

.4Q-'A washing agitator to Vbe vertically recipro-r catedin a'tub bya vertically reciprocable shaft extending below said agitator comprising: a tubularrimperforate main body having an outwardly Vextending cone-.shaped flange at its lower edge a spider in said body for attachment to said down-V wardly extending reciprocable: shaft, saidgspiderv permittingthe passage ofliquid back andfo-rthL into saidmain body; a screen in said main body;V belowthe top ofsaid body'forsupporting pow-.. dered detergent; and a removable, cover in seal-1V ing engagement withrtheV top end fof said mainY body for the` introduction off polli/@ered ldetergentY intosaid bodywhile'in operating position,and

5 for the gradual solution of said detergent by liquid passing back and forth through said screen during operation of said agitator by said reciprccable shaft.

5. A washing agitator to be vertically reciprocated in a tub by a vertically reciprocable shaft extending below said agitator comprising: a main body having an outwardly extending cone-shaped iiange at its lower edge; means for attaching said shaft to said main body; means in said main body lu forming a chamber to contain powdered detergent, said chamber having an opening at the top for the introduction of said detergent; a removable cover in sealing engagement with said main body closing said opening; and means providing for the iiow of liquid int-o and out of said charnber from and to said tub to dissolve said detergent upon reciprocation of said agitator.

KENDALL CLARK. 

